


I Want You Instead

by Little_Spirit199



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Angst and Humor, Arguing, Bisexual Male Character, Coffee, Dareth (Ninjago) (Cameo), Discord - Freeform, Flustered Jay Walker, Gay Male Character, Human Legos, Lloyd Garmadon (Mentioned) - Freeform, M/M, Passion, Roommates, Screw Destiny, Sharing a Bed, Skeptical Cole (Ninjago), Slow Build, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Zane (Ninjago) Mentioned
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:27:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27895297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_Spirit199/pseuds/Little_Spirit199
Summary: Research suggests that people end up with their soulmate less than 1.5% of the time. Soulmate marks are no longer seen as romantic or intriguing, just something that everyone has.Jay Walker thinks (or maybe hopes) differently. He's made it his goal to find his soulmate and be with them. His only clue is a set of initials on his left elbow. He manages to narrow it down after years, and he's almost certain he knows who his soulmate is...But then he meets Cole, and the whole situation turns on its head. Cole seems too perfect to be true, and he's Jay's new roommate.Maybe soulmates really are just fantasy?
Relationships: Cole/Jay Walker
Comments: 18
Kudos: 39





	1. Chapter 1

NS. The only clue Jay had about his soulmate. Two swirly blue letters burnt into his inside elbow. He'd spent the past ten years looking for her, and now he was almost sure he knew who it was. His parents always joked about him being so old fashioned, so bent on finding the person who was perfect for him. They weren't soulmates after all, and they were one of the most mind-numbingly fluffy couples Jay had ever met.

They just proved this even further when they nearly squeezed him to death at the airport. "Buh-bye, champ. Oh lordie, you're so grown up! I remember when you were just a babe, sitting there in your-"

"Yeah Dad, I know, ok?" He tried to stop himself from laughing, but it didn't go well. He ended up sputtering and coughing. "Anyway, the bus that'll be taking me to the university will be here soon, remember? I've gotta leave." His dad looked a little disappointed, but bounced back quickly.

"Ok, kiddo. We'll see you tomorrow!"

"You'd better be back here!" His mother, Edna, interrupted.

"I know, mom. I will. But in the meantime, I'm going to go meet up with Nya!"

"You and your soulmates nonsense. We've told ya before, it's not real! How do you know this Nya is even the right person?" Jay hesitated. It was difficult to say what drew him to Nya, but somehow, he just _knew._

"It's complicated, Dad. You understand, don't you?" Ed looked at him quizzically, but had long since learned to stop questioning Jay's antics. 

"Alrighty then. We'll see you tomorrow, Jay! We love you."

"Love you guys too. Bye!" Jay waved back at them as he ran to catch the bus, his backpack and suitcase in tow.

Once he was securely in his seat, he pulled out his phone and went to his texts. There it was, at the very top. Nya Smith. The girl who was almost certainly Jay's soulmate. It was really lucky that they'd found each other, really. She was the whole reason Jay had chosen this college in the first place. 

_Sorry I’ll be a little late, my parents wouldn't let me leave._

She started typing, then stopped. Eventually, she just replied with: _Whatever._

Jay couldn’t wait to see her in person. She was probably even more beautiful than in pictures. Jay had wanted to start dating right away, but Nya said she would rather get to know each other first, so they went with that. The bus pulled up to NCU- Ninjago City University- and Jay gathered up his various bags and suitcases to unpack in his dorm room.

Oh god, he was so wrapped up in finally meeting Nya that he forgot all about the actual _college_ part of college. Would the classes be too hard? Would his roommate be nice? He double checked his room assignment (on-campus dorms were a requirement that came with his scholarship), and strolled across the shining, emerald grass. When he found the right building, he sprinted up the stairs to his floor and found the right room.

When Jay opened the door, there was already a boy sitting on one side of the room. He had spiky brown hair and a scar down one side of his face. “Yo.” He cocked his head in Jay’s direction. Was this the guy? “You must be Cole’s roommate, right?”

Jay vaguely remembered the name “Cole” from somewhere, so he nodded. “I’m Jay Walker.” He tried to shuffle around to his side of the room, when the other guy laughed out loud and said,

“Sorry about that, my name’s Kai. I’m a friend of Cole’s, so I’ll just be chilling here until my sister needs a ride to NCSM, if that’s alright.” NCSM? The same school as Nya’s. Maybe she and Kai’s sister knew each other. Without waiting for Jay’s response, Kai continued. “Anyway, Cole should be here any- ah, right on time!” The door crashed open and who Jay presumed was Cole sauntered in, wearing an expensive looking shirt. He was bigger than Kai, and probably older. He shook out his black hair at the sight of Kai.

“Kai! You can’t just barge in here whenever you feel like- oh. You’re Jay?”

“Uhh... yeah. Um-” He cleared his throat and stuck out a hand. “That’s me.” Cole gave his hand a hearty shake and flashed a bright, friendly smile.

“Sorry if this idiot was bothering you.” He slapped Kai on the back of the head and laughed.

“Hey!”

”No, really, it’s fine,” Jay insisted. He glanced down at his watch. He could still make it in time if he hurried. “I was just going to meet a friend anyway, so stay around as long as you want.” He told Kai.

He was out the door before either of them could question him any further. He wanted to meet Nya.


	2. Chapter 2

Jay walked out into Ninjago City and found the coffee shop where he was meeting Nya right on the edge of town.

There she was. She was gorgeous. Jay was way out of her league. Nya finally noticed him and beckoned him over. Jay felt a little flutter in his stomach when he saw the blocky black letters of "JW" on the inside of her elbow. So it was really happening. He couldn't keep the smile off his face. Jay took a seat across from her and rubbed his hands on his sweatshirt. His palms were already super sweaty. “Hey,” he breathed. Wow.

Nya took a sip from her mug. "Hi."

"Sorry I'm late, I-"

"It's fine." Her phone vibrated on the table. She scanned the screen and sighed. "My brother is going to pick me up in half an hour." Jay's shoulders tensed. They only had half an hour? He couldn't blame her though, it _was_ mostly his fault.

"That's ok." Jay leaned back in his chair. He couldn't think of anything to say. "Mind if I go order a coffee?" Nya shrugged.

"Fine with me,"

Jay got his coffee and took a seat again. He couldn't seem to think of anything to say to her. Nya was in a similar situation. She spent most of the time scrolling through her phone. Jay shook it off. It would get better next time. _This is just a rough start. We're soulmates! It has to work out._ He had to stay hopeful. Half an hour of mindless small talk later, a red sports car pulled up outside the shop. Nya stood and brushed herself off.

"This is my ride," She told him. Jay stood too.

"I'll walk you out, then. I'm just heading back to NCU." Nya was in the same year as Jay, but at a different university in Ninjago City, the NC School for Mechanics. Jay applied there too, but he didn't get in, so he went with the next best choice.

The two of them headed outside, and the window of the sports car rolled down. Jay gasped. "Kai?" Yes, it was the same Kai that he had met earlier. He turned to Nya. "He's your brother?" She looked at him quizzically.

"You know each other?"

Kai nodded and leaned on the edge of the car. "We met over at NCU. Hey, bro, you want a ride? I'll be heading back over I drop Nya off." Jay shrugged. It was better than walking the whole way, and this would give him a quick chance to smooth things over with Nya.

"Yeah, sounds good. Thanks."  
He climbed into the back seat and Nya took the passenger. Kai revved the engine and drover further into the city. "S'anyway, how did you two meet?" He asked Nya after a few minutes. She was on her phone again.

"A Discord server." She muttered, without looking up. She didn't mention the fact that the two of them were the most perfect match for each other in the whole of Ninjago. Jay furrowed his brow. _Just a rough start, this is just a rough start. She's probably just slow to open up. It's fine._

Kai dropped Nya off at NCSM, dropped Jay off in front of his dorm building, and drove away to who-knows-where. Jay stood outside for a few minutes, reviewing the night in his mind, then walked up to his floor. His room was dark, even though it was still midafternoon. He didn't touch the lights. It was calming.

"Hey, you're back." Cole's voice said from the side of the room. Jay jumped. He hadn’t even noticed he was there. Cole ran his hand through his hair again, and Jay couldn't help but notice the strange color of his eyes. They were a fairly normal brown, but there were specs of orange around the edges. Jay had never seen that before, but instead of saying anything, he just flopped onto his bed.

"Yep. Back."

"Mhm." Cole nodded, and went back to whatever music he had been listening to.

Jay rolled over and texted Nya "When do you want to meet up next?" with a heart emoji, but she never answered.

_Just a rough start._


	3. Chapter 3

Jay rolled awake. Where was he? He didn’t recognize this place! He blinked a few times, then it all came rushing back. The two other students, Cole and Kai, his lackluster first meeting with Nya, and the fact that he was supposed to go see his parents off in half an hour. He jolted up, suddenly more awake than he had ever been. Mom would kill him if he didn’t come say goodbye! He pulled on the sweatshirt from yesterday and was out the door in minutes.

By the time the bus was halfway to the airport, he thought that maybe it would’ve been better if he brushed his teeth first. Oh well, it was too late now.

When the bus dropped him off in front of the airport, Jay was instantly hit with a wave of parent hugs. “Guys, guys!” He laughed. When he finally managed to calm them down, Ed clapped Jay on the shoulder and handed him something small and rough. Keys? No, it couldn’t be.

“Dad! Did you get me a car?” He gasped. This was too much. Ed winked.

“Well, I fixed it up a bit. It’s a ‘congratulations on gettin’ into NCU’ present. Heh heh...” Edna was practically beaming.

“We knew you would want some way to get around in the big city.” Jay tackled them into another hug. He’d always wanted his own vehicle, but he knew how much that would cost his parents, so he never brought it up. He didn’t know how he would afford gas, but that was a problem for Future Jay.

“Thanks so much, guys. You’re epic.” Ed tapped Jay’s hand and said,

“A friend of mine is keeping it in his warehouse. I emailed you the address.” Jay couldn’t help but giggle at that. His dad could barely even use Google, and he managed to email something?

“You guys are gonna miss your flight!” He jabbed them in the back and pushed them forward to the airport entrance. After a kiss on the cheek from his mother and a few tears, he was back on a bus. He really did have awesome parents.

As soon as he had the opportunity, he swiped his phone open, and, lo and behold, there was an email from his dad containing an address from the other side of Ninjago City.

He almost texted Nya about the car, but didn’t want to annoy her. Instead, he slipped his phone in his pocket until he got back to NCU. He wouldn’t pick up the car yet, not until he needed it anyway. It would be better to unpack his stuff today anyway, since classes started the next day and there was no way he would be able to focus in a pigsty like his side of the room was. (Cole’s side was very minimalistic, or maybe Cole wasn’t done unpacking and was just more subtle about it).

When he got back to the dorm, Cole nodded at him before turning back to aggressively texting someone. _Does he have a partner? Wait, what does that have to do with anything?_

Finally, Cole slammed his phone downwards on his bedside table, fuming. He fiddled with the case, and popped the phone in and out a few times before asking, “Do you need help unpacking?”

“Sure, that would be cool.” Cole swept his legs over the bed railing and joined Jay on the opposite side of the room. Jay directed him to a small crate filled with various hoodies and sweatpants, which Cole folded while Jay stacked them in the flimsy plastic dresser.

“Who were you texting?” Jay blurted, then went red when he realized that he was prying. He barely even knew Cole. “Uh, if it’s too personal though, you don’t have to answer...”

Cole handed Jay a blue sweater. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it. It was just my dad. Long story, but he kicked me out a couple years ago, and now he wants me to come back.”

Jay inwardly cringed. He tried to imagine _his_ parents kicking him out, but the thought sat all crooked and awkward in his stomach. He was suddenly really grateful for his weird parents.

“That sucks,” was all he could think to say. Would it be rude to ask why? Yeah, he decided. That would definitely be really rude. So he shut up and kept sorting the clothes.

Until Cole was practically busting at the seams and bursted out, “you know, he’s such a little ass sometimes! The more time I spend around him, the more I just feel like exploding. He’s so close minded, about so... so many things.” He trailed off, and bit his lip. “Sorry, Jay. You didn’t want to hear that.”

But Jay wasn’t mad, or even irritated. “Don’t apologize. That sounds pretty sucky. In fact, _I’m_ sorry that you have to deal with someone like that, and I don’t even know the whole story. Don’t be nervous about talking about it, if you want to.”

Cole’s face seemed to melt and soften, just a smidge. “Thank you.” He shifted around in his chair and drew his ankles together. Jay tried to smile encouragingly, and nodded him onward. Cole felt himself blushing, and for once was grateful for his darker skin.

“Ok, you can’t tell anyone, got it?” Jay nodded again. The anticipation was building.

Cole took a deep breath. He could barely believe he was telling somebody other than Kai. “Here goes. I came out to my dad three years ago, when I was a senior in high school.”

“Came out?”

“Oh... you’re not homophobic, are you? Ugh... I knew this was a bad idea!”

“I’m bi.” Jay told him, deadpan. He’d known for years. Even when he had just started the search for his soulmate, he hadn’t ruled out the possibility of it being another guy. It didn’t matter to him, he just wanted someone who would fit him perfectly. They would compliment each other, like pieces that belonged together.

Jay looked up, and realized Cole was staring at him curiously. “Really?”

Jay suddenly felt really embarrassed for some reason. “Uh, yeah...”

“Cool. Anyway, when I came out, he was mad, but when I told him that I didn’t want to be a dancer, that was the last straw. Ridiculous, isn’t it?

Jay tried to stifle a giggle. “Well, a little. Is your dad a dancer?”  
Cole nodded.

“Mhm.” But he didn’t elaborate. Jay really didn’t want to ask any more questions, especially considering how nervous Cole was about even telling him that much.

“Well, uh,” _Oh, god, I sound like an idiot._ “That sounds tough. Sorry dude.”

Cole nodded again, but his eyes were far away.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for all the awesome feedback and comments I've been getting! I'm glad people are liking my story so far.

Jay jolted up at exactly seven o'clock for the first day of classes. He breathed in the fresh morning air and turned his alarm off. Cole was still snoring. Jay checked his phone and saw a new message from Nya. She hadn't spoken to him at all yesterday, so he wondered what this could be about.

_Kai's working today, so he's dropping me off downtown after class. If you want to come hang out for a few hours, I'm open._

Jay grinned. He knew that it would work out in the end. He and Nya would become best friends, then they would become boyfriend and girlfriend, and then, maybe after a few years, they would get married. That was just what he was destined to do. The fates gave him to Nya, and the fates couldn't be wrong. Sure, their first meeting was bumpy, but that just made it all the better that they got through it. Jay texted back, _Sure, I'd love too,_ and crawled out of bed. Cole was still fast asleep. His dark hair swooped over his forehead and spilled out behind him in a tangled mess. It was almost curly, but not quite. Jay didn't want to wake him, so he quietly took a shower and pulled on yet another hoodie. His first class was at nine o'clock, so he still had quite some time until he actually needed to be somewhere. He flopped back onto his bed, now regretting setting his alarm so early. It was a force of habit from high school, but he wished he realized sooner how much better it would have been to sleep for just another twenty minutes...

"Ah... Morning." Cole sighed. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and rolled out of his bed onto the floor. He draped his arm over his face, then kicked his feet up over the bed railing. Jay giggled.

"Morning." He glanced at Cole again, then muttered, "I'm guessing you're not really a morning person, are you?" He tried hard to avoid their conversation from yesterday. They'd been such easy, casual acquaintances until then, and he didn't want to make things awkward, or start a fight.

“Mmm." Cole was treading just as easily. He didn't expect the drop that Jay was bisexual, but it still felt weird having this almost-stranger know that he was gay. The fact that they were both guys made it weirder. At least Jay didn't go, _"Don't get a crush on me,"_ Like a lot of people did when he came out, but still. The implication was there. The two worked around each other, neither of them bring up the conversation from last night, until Jay left for class.

As soon as he was out the door, Cole collapsed onto the floor again. He already knew that he wouldn’t be leaving the room at all that day. He almost never went to class. He was pretty sure NCU only let him stay around because of his ultra-famous dad. He left that part out when telling Jay his story. Cole picked up his phone and called Kai, who picked up on the second ring. He first met Kai when his dad kicked him out, they were both attending NCU. Then Kai dropped out and started working full time, but the two stayed friends. Despite what Jay probably thought, they weren’t dating, and they never did.

“What’s up?”

“I told him.”

“Who?”

“Jay.”

“Holy crap, Cole. Everything?”

“Not everything.” He paused. “Most of it.”

“Well. Didn’t expect that. Why?”

“I don’t know. He asked?” Even as it left his mouth, he knew how stupid it sounded. “I really don’t know.”

“Do you regret it?”

“I don’t- um, not really.”

“Then don’t worry about it. He didn’t say... anything bad, did he?”

"No."

"Then don’t worry about it. You know, you’re pretty dumb sometimes.” Kai chuckled.

"Oh. I guess you're right." The tension in his stomach eased, just a little.

So that was the end of that. Cole lounged around in his room, mostly browsing YouTube and adding stuff to his Amazon cart that he wouldn't end up buying, until Jay returned after class, looking sheepish. He decided not to comment on the fact that Cole had been lying in bed all day. "Hey, can I ask a favor?"

"Yeah, what do you need?"

"You have a car, right?"

"I do."

"Can you drive me downtown? I'm meeting Nya and the buses aren't running."

Cole was struggling to meet Jay's eyes, and he found it hard to keep his face passive as he answered. "Yeah, I'll drive you. It's not like I have anything else to do. Meet me out front in ten minutes."

Jay strolled outside, and sat down in the damp grass while he waited for Cole. He twirled his wavy hair around one finger, then raked his hand through it in an attempt to smooth it out a little. Other students were walking up and down the cobbled pathways, or chatting with each other. Jay had had a pretty low-key first day of classes. Nothing crazy, although one of his professors wouldn't stop talking about discipline and tea the entire class. "Jay!" Cole called from behind him, snapping him out of his trance. Cole had driven up from the student parking and stopped in front of Jay's swatch of grass.

"Coming!" Jay called. He collected his stuff and jogged up to Cole's car, but when he got a better look, he staggered to a stop. "Holy... dude?"

Cole looked surprised. "What? Something wrong?"

"Your car... it's, like, crazy expensive!" It was a sleek black spyder with a hint of orange accent around the wheels and doors. Cole suddenly seemed timid.

"Oh, uh, yeah. I guess. Anyway," He patted the passenger seat next to him. "Climb in."

Jay circled around the front and clipped his seatbelt into place. The seats were soft leather- not sticky like he thought they would be- more cozy. "This is cool." He whispered. Jay didn't notice but Cole was blushing and grinning. After they left campus, Cole finally spoke up.

"You know, if you want to give it a try after your date, I know a place." Jay brightened.

"Really? And it's not quite a date."

"Yeah! It'll be fun. You can text me when you- oh, you don't have my number, do you?" They swapped phones and quickly typed in each other's numbers, before Jay could really realize what was happening. Cole shot off towards Ninjago City's downtown and dropped Jay off along the street. "Later!"

Jay felt his shoulders slump a little. He'd forgotten about Nya. "Oh. Ok." Nya wasn't clear about where they were supposed to meet, so Jay wandered around the streets until he found her, leaning against a brick wall. She was wearing a gray knee length dress and tall boots. She gave Jay a small smile when she saw him. No doubt, she was as pretty as ever.

"Hi, Jay."


	5. Chapter 5

"Hi, Jay." Nya tried to smile, but she was almost sure it looked more like a pained smirk. Jay had been exactly as she imagined. Energetic, bubbly. A little immature?

_I should have given him a chance._

Jay's face lifted, which made it even worse. He just looked so innocent when he was happy. It was hard to turn him down when he smiled like that. Nya bit her lip and smiled again. This time it was real. "Thanks for meeting me today. I was super bored."

_It's technically true. I_ was _bored._

"Of course. I'm glad you invited me. Where do you want to go?" She noticed that he clasped the edge of his forearm as he said it. Nya hadn't seen his soulmark since he was always wearing long sleeves, but it was supposedly in the same spot as hers: her elbow. She coughed before answering.

"I don't know. You hungry?"

"A little."

"Uh, Kai works at a fast food place, I always get a sweet discount. Do you like Chinese?"

Jay shifted back on his feet. He still wasn't sure whether or not to call this a date. "Yeah, I like Chinese. Sounds good to me." Nya didn't meet his eyes when she answered.

"Great. It's just a few streets over." After they started walking, Nya couldn't help but giggle. Jay looked startled.

"What?"

"Nothing. How'd you get here? I thought the buses were down."

"They are, Cole dropped me off."

"Oh yeah! Kai mentioned that you were rooming with him. Weird coincidence, right?"

"Yeah, it is." Jay chuckled. He went to walk forward again, but Nya stopped him.

"This is the place! Chen's Noodle House. Kai's girlfriend got him the job." They entered through the rotating door and a cheery girl with a red ponytail greeted them.

"Hey, welcome- oh, it's you, Nya! Great to see you." Nya instantly brightened. 

"Sky! Hey. Didn't know you were on today."

"I'm covering for someone. Anyway, who's this?" She raised an eyebrow at Jay, who waved cheerfully.

"This is Jay. We're-" _What? What are we?_ "Friends." She took a deep breath. _Friends_ fit much better than _soulmates._ "Jay, this is Skylor."

"Nice to meet you." Jay stuck out a hand, and Skylor shook it robustly.

"Table for two then?"

"Yeah."

___

They got settled into their booth. Jay was hopeful for this meeting. Nya seemed in a good mood. Skylor took their orders and ran off to the kitchen. "She's Kai's girlfriend. We're all really close." She grinned. Jay nodded her on. At least she was opening up this time. Nya continued. "They actually met thanks to my adopted brother. Did I tell you about Lloyd?"

"Briefly."

"Well he's really into martial arts. Sky was entered in the same tournament as him, and she ran into Kai while they were there, and they really hit it off." She wasn't sure why she was telling him this, but Jay seemed happy to know a little bit more about her life. "What about you, any siblings?" She asked, since he seemed eager to tell her something in return.

"None. It's just me and my parents."

"Huh."

Skylor joined them, carrying two trays. "Hey guys. What'cha talking about?"

"Wow!" Jay marvelled. "That was fast."

The two girls giggled, as Skylor explained. " _Kai's_ the one cooking in there. He sets a timer every time he gets an order and races against himself."

"Oh." Jay didn't know Kai very well, but that sounded like something he would do. "That makes a lot of sense."

Skylor left, and Nya stuffed a bite of fried rice in her mouth before Jay tried to talk to her. Maybe she could wait until the end of the meal. It would be less awkward that way. Jay was grinning through a mouthful of scrambled eggs. "Disis wealie good!" He swallowed, then tried again. "Haha, sorry. This is really good."

Nya shrugged. "I eat here a lot, so I'm a little tired of it."

"Oh."

"Um, it is pretty good though."

"Yeah." Jay's face fell, and Nya couldn't stop herself.

"Jay? I want to tell you something."

He looked hopeful. Nya took a deep breath. He would be so disappointed. "I don't think we're going to work out."

The look on his face was almost enough to make her change her mind. But she continued, determined not to meet his eye. "I'm sorry, I really am. But Jay, if you didn't have my initials on your elbow, would you be interested in me? Be honest. You wouldn't. I'm not your type, and... you're not mine." Jay's chin was quivering, but she forced herself to keep going. "Please don't be mad. I'm not the girl for you. Find someone better." He opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off. "Don't. I understand if you don't want to, but I hope we can still be friends." She stood up and slapped a twenty onto the table. She didn't want to make him say anything, so she walked out. Her face felt hot.

_I'm sorry Jay. I want to build my own life. I don't want some godly forces telling me who to date._

_You'll find the right person eventually._

_Move on without me. It's for the best._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments give me life! Please let me know what you think of the story so far.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first chapter where Jay and Cole start to build a deeper and friendlier relationship, so I hope you enjoy! I had a lot of fun writing this one.

After Nya left, Jay didn't know what to do. He pushed his forehead against the cool table, and that comforted him, just a bit. Skylor came back and picked up Nya's twenty, but she didn't say anything.

Who would reject their soulmate?

Well, Jay knew that most people nowadays didn't believe in soulmates, but he thought she was different. After all, she agreed to meet him in the first place, didn't she? After awhile, Jay got tired of moping around and pulled out his phone. He opened up the contact Cole had punched in and asked him to pick him up.

_Be there in a minute,_ Cole responded. Jay slumped against the table again. Him and Nya were supposed to be a perfect match; destiny cast them together, didn't it? They were born to love each other, weren't they? He lounged around the booth until Cole pulled into the parking lot. He wandered outside Chen's Noodle House, feeling dazed. He'd spent years looking for his soulmate, and she dismissed him, brushed him off like he was nothing. 

Maybe he was being a _bit_ harsh.

Jay slumped into the passenger seat and gnawed on the end of his finger. "Dude? You okay?" Cole asked after several minutes of silence. "You seem... different." Jay didn't know how to reply, so he just shrugged. The the idea hit him.

"Cole, what do you think about soulmates?"

"Eh? I think they're a bit boring, to be honest. Lazy, y'know? Like, you could go out and find someone who you enjoy spending time with, or you could just settle for the ready made partner who's already there. It's not really fair to either of them. Why do you ask?"

"No reason." Jay felt his heart sinking. Of course that's what Cole thought. That's what everyone thought. "Don't you think it's a little romantic?" Jay asked again.

"Not even a little bit. Who decides who soulmates are, anyway?" Cole glanced sideways at Jay's face and grinned. "You're asking way too much about this for it to mean nothing. Nya's your soulmate, isn't she?"

"Holy- How'd you know?" Jay was snapped out of his funk, just briefly, when Cole said that.

"Your soulmark says 'NS'. I saw it before you left for class this morning." Was that really this morning? It felt like weeks to Jay. "Anyway, you still want to take the car for a spin?"

Jay had forgotten all about that. Maybe it would be just what he needed to cheer up after Nya.

"Yeah, if you're up for it."

So Cole drove them out to a big open lot. No one else was around, and after they switched seats, Cole offered, "So do you want to talk about it?"

Jay's first instinct was to say no, he was fine, but then he realized how satisfying it would be to let out all his feelings at once. "Yeah, actually."

Cole tossed him the keys to the car. "Go ahead then. Be careful, it's a little touchy." Jay turned the keys and started talking. He didn't have any filters on. For the first time in awhile, he felt like he was saying what he really thought. He was brutal. He was vulnerable. Cole listened the entire time without saying a word. Before he realized it, Jay was racing around the edges of the lot and shouting.

"FUUUUUUCK IT! I WAS NEVER INTO YOU ANYWAY!" Cole was laughing and banging his fist on the dashboard. Jay came to a stop near a patch of browning grass.

"See? I thought that would cheer you up." Despite himself, Jay smiled.

"Yeah. It's really hard to admit this, considering how stubborn I was as a kid, but I think you have the right idea. Who says some random girl I've never even met is my soulmate? Pff-"

"I'm glad you're feeling better about it. Nya was always like this, at least since I met her. She just likes to do things her own way."

"I get it."

"You want to head back to the dorm now?"

"Let's stay out here a little longer."

"Ok."

___

They ended up lying in the grass next to each other, staring at the sky. Even though it was getting late, neither of them moved. Cole yawned, then asked, "So anyway, how'd you know you were bi?" They'd been doing this for awhile now, asking each other random questions that had nothing to do with anything they'd been doing. Jay shrugged, although he knew Cole couldn't see it.

"I don't know. I guess I always knew. How 'bout you, how'd you know you were gay?"

"Dunno. I guess I never really had crushes on girls." He paused, trying to think of something more to say. "You out to your parents?"

"Yeah."

"How'd they react?" Neither of them knew why they were even having this conversation, but they were both interested to see how it would go.

"Eh, it was very mild. They said they supported me, then that was the end of it."

"Huh. You're lucky."

"Oh, now I'm curious..." Jay smirked, but couldn't keep the giggle out of his voice.

"Shut up!" Cole laughed. "I'll tell you anyway though, 'cause it's nice to have someone to talk to about this stuff."

"I know what you mean. Back where I'm from, it's just me and my parents for miles around. Anyway, continue."

"So you know that performing group the Royal Blacksmiths?"

"Yeah... Their dances are all over the internet." Jay thought he knew where this was going.

"My dad's the lead singer."

"Hm. Explains the rich-boy persona."

"Hey! I don't have a rich-boy persona!"

"You totally do."

"Hmph. Well, I told my stepmom first. I thought she would keep it a secret until I was ready to tell Dad, but I guess she's wrapped around his finger. He came storming up to my room one night, and I went 'yeah I'm gay, so what?' Then I went on a whole rant about how he puts to much pressure on me to follow in his footsteps, yada yada yada. He got super pissed. He said if I came out online or anywhere, he'd disown me, and I was kicked out of the house until I was ready to 'behave like a proper gentleman,'" He put air quotes around the phrase. "It's super stupid."

"Why does he want you to come back, then?" Jay asked, remembering the texting. He had felt increasingly more uncomfortable when Cole told that story. He'd heard of LGBTQ kids getting kicked out of their houses, or even worse, but he never expected it would happen to someone he knew.

"Rumors started circling around online recently." Cole explained. "His reputation took a major hit when the press found out about it. He's thinking that if we start acting friendly again, it'll all die out soon."

"That's selfish." Jay pouted. Cole rolled over on his side to face him, so they could see each other better.

"Yeah, isn't it? I told him that I'm an adult and I'll do what I like."

"Ack! I could never imagine how it would feel if my parents did that." Not that his parents had a reputation to uphold anyway. Cole seemed oddly calm, considering the situation.

"Well, it was a while ago. I'm doing fine on my own, so it doesn't really matter."

"That's impressive. Ha, I'd probably be freaking out if I had to fend for myself." Jay's phone vibrated, and when he picked it up, he freaked out. "What? It's already 11:30?!"

Cole sat up, surprised as well. "No way! Damn... that went fast."

"Yeah. Maybe we _should_ get back to campus now."

"Laaame! You're in college now, Jay. Let's go party!" When he saw the look on Jay's face, Cole burst out laughing. "Kidding, kidding! I had a feeling you weren't the type. Let's get back to the dorm."

As Jay climbed back into the car, he realized that he'd completely forgotten about Nya. She'd vanished from his mind while he was talking to Cole. He really was good to talk to.


End file.
